Migraine by Rx? A Cautionary Tale on Painkillers

What is the first thing you do when you sense an impending headache? If you are like many headache sufferers, you grab the nearest bottle of over the counter or Rx pain killers and bolt some down without a second thought. If you are like many headache sufferers, you may even pop a pain killer occasionally or even routinely, in anticipation of a tough day or as a preventative measure against a recurring headache.

Whatever the case, pause for a moment and analyze the pattern of your headaches. Have they become more intense lately, requiring more drugs than before? Are they happening more frequently, even daily? If you answered yes, then you may be getting rebound headaches, also known as medication overuse headaches or MOHs.

What happens is this. When you start taking pain relievers more often than what the doctor prescribed or the label recommends, your body kind of adapts to the medication. The result is that each successive time you need a higher dose to combat headaches. And as you up the dose, the frequency and intensity of your headaches increases, so much so that headaches become a daily phenomenon. Some headache sufferers even find they wake up with a dull headache that never really goes away.

The effect is similar to what happens when at the slightest hint of a headache, you reach for your cup of coffee because coffee seems to cure your headache. Each day you need that shot of coffee a bit earlier and perhaps then you need another one later in the day, until eventually, passing up that cup of coffee results in a headache. Over time, your coffee requirement increases and so does the resulting viciousness of the headache, when deprived of caffeine. So you drink more coffee. And you perpetuate the vicious rebound headache cycle. Although the caffeine is the culprit here, pain relief products work the same way.

Rebound headaches are usually accompanied by restlessness and irritability. Although any pain reliever can trigger rebound headaches, some are more likely to fuel them than others. Common over-the-counter medications that contribute to rebound headaches are aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, more so if they come in combination with caffeine. Rx drugs containing the sedative butalbital, such as Fiorinal, Fioricet and Esgic, migraine medicines and opium-derived medications are also the culprits. Get the details on your pain reliever here.

Most people do not realize that over-the-counter pain relievers are meant to give quick relief from occasional headaches. They must not to be taken indiscriminately on a regular basis for recurrent headaches because medication overdosing can set off a vicious cycle of rebound headaches. Once the rebound headache cycle has been triggered, the only way to stop it, is to stop taking the drug that triggered it. Period. But, although the task is simple, it is not always easy. Especially in the case of opium drugs, withdrawal must be closely medically supervised, because it is potentially dangerous.

You can get additional rebound headache information here or by consulting your health care professional. Signs you may need medical help with rebound headaches include:

• Your headaches get worse
• You take migraine or pain pills regularly or in greater than recommended doses
• You get headaches 3 or more times in a week.

Most importantly, preventing any kind of headache from occurring often is the best solution, so it is worth while to try out most natural headache therapies as prevention is their focus. This requires a conscious effort on your part and can be achieved by identifying and avoiding things that trigger headaches for you. Alternative therapies like meditation and yoga teach you to relax and develop a positive attitude towards life. Also, making small lifestyle changes like getting sufficient sleep, eating meals in time, exercising regularly and quitting smoking can go a long way in preventing nagging headaches.